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LAS VEGAS – When the Nets drafted Cameron Thomas, he was billed as an instant attack, microwave scorer with average effectiveness.
It was as advertised. And then some.
Thomas’ introduction to professional play came with a few bumps and a noticeable learning curve during the Summer League opener in Las Vegas on Monday. But he backed off a tough start with a solid finish, leading a Nets comeback that fell just short of 91-84 against Memphis at the Cox Pavilion.
“This is my first pro game, so I’m just starting to get a feel for everything, I’m off the bench,” said Thomas, who had 17 points, a high for the team. “So I just had to find a rhythm, have a flow for everything. Once I got a good beat I felt like I was pretty [comfortable]. Just basketball from there.
The Nets fell 16 points behind in a botched and rambling first half. They made 10 turnovers and Thomas had just five points on 1 of the 7 shots. He only had two points in the third quarter before scoring 10 points in the final period. Brooklyn took the lead to lead with 3.5 minutes left, but passed out late.
“Cam succeeded. Took us with this second unit, him and [Quinndary Weatherspoon]”Said coach Jordan Ott.” You see Cam’s skills; 19 against a really good team.… Cam did a pretty good job of getting this thing rolling.
Weatherspoon had 15 points, while Day’Ron Sharpe (eight rebounds, plus-15) looked physically in the game.
But Brooklyn’s start was too sloppy to overcome. Memphis’s Desmond Bane scored 32 points, while Killian Tillie added 20. The Nets fell 16 points behind in the second quarter and shot just 31.3% in the first half, 3 of 10 from deep .
“The first half was sometimes ugly. We knew it. That’s why we tried to increase our pressure. We knew our defense should carry us, ”said Ott. “We had 10 turnovers in the first half, finished with 18.… Our ball movement improved a bit. As the game progressed we felt better.
Alize Johnson (13 points, seven rebounds) and Reggie Perry (several dozen boards) were the only players on the Nets’ roster, and this experience has shown it. Obviously, Nic Claxton does not play in the summer league.
“Nic has been in the gym. Nic has been working, he’s been with us all this time, ”Ott said. “It was just a discussion, a collaborative discussion between him, his people, our people, and they thought the best thing was not to play in the Summer League.”
Brooklyn trailed 42-26 with 2:02 left in the half after a free throw from Bane, and was still behind 43-33 at the break.
The Nets came close to two before the fourth quarter and were still down 65-63 after a layup from Sean McDermott. They took the lead with a Jordan Bowden 3 and Thomas’ three-point play led them by four.
A Thomas 3 gave them a 77-76 lead with 3:27 to go, but they gave up a point of 14-4.
Still, Thomas’ offensive cunning bodes well.
“I didn’t know there would be a big opening with all this space. So that’s the most, ”Thomas said. “Everything else was just basketball. … It wasn’t so physical, not so much faster. So I felt like I integrated right away. But I just saw so much space, and I was like, ‘This is really great.’ “
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